Apparatus for continuously perforating photographic films, papers, magneton bands and the like



March 2, 1965 ARNDT 3,171,314

APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY PERFORATING PHOTOGRAPHIC FILMS, PAPERS,MAGNETON BANDS AND THE LIKE Filed April 30, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet lDIJDUUHDUIJDUDDU INVENTOR.

RUDOLF ARNDT BY w W W A TTORNEYS March 2, 1965 -r APPARATUS FORCONTINUOUSLY PERFORATING PHOTOGRAPHIC FILMS. PAPERS, MAGNETON BANDS ANDTHE LIKE Filed April 30, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 l 49 A1 v/ 34 l/ I: 35 ta 3 3! 37 l 2% -L i T RUDOLF ARNDT A T TOR NE YS' March 2, 1965 R. ARNDT3,171,314

APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY PERFORATING PHOTOGRAPHIC FILMS, PAPERS,MAGNETON BANDS AND THE LIKE Filed April 30, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 3INVENTOR.

RUDOLF ARNDT AT TORNEYS United States Patent O 4 Claims. 61. 83-326) Theinvention concerns an apparatus for continuously perforatingphotographic films, papers, magnetic tapes or the like which apparatusincludes a rotary roller on which a band of film runs in the samedirection and is at the same time perforated by means of punches.

In the known apparatus of this kind, the punches are seated at the endof levers or plate springs which are arranged on the periphery of therotary rollers and actuated by two oblique or eccentric rings whichsurround the periphery of the roller from the side, the punchesdescribing the arc of a circle. Owing to the circular are over which thepunches move, they do not dip accurately into the die apertures so thataccurate perforation cannot be ensured. Furthermore, owing to thenecessarily small amount of play between the punch and the die the punchcannot go deeper than the thickness of the film. Any drag on the endsurface of the punch or on the roller die makes this apparatus useless.

Another apparatus is known in which a roller punch is in engagement witha roller die by an amount corresponding to the thickness of the film,and the film is perforated as it runs between the rollers rotating inopposite senses and is at the same time conveyed. Owing to the movementof the rollers, the quality of the perforations are. poor and thetolerances of form are not adequately maintained. As the diameter andhence the distribution of apertures on the die roller is altered bygrinding the roller to sharpen it, the tool soon becomes useless.Furthermore, it is not easy to carry out a subsequent adjustment of thepunch roller and to grind it.

It has now been found that accurate perforations can be obtained even athigh speeds and the perforating elements of the punch can be sharpenedas often as required without impairing the function of the apparatus ifthe punches are guided, in accordance with the invention, in radial andrectilinear slots in the roller and are threaded in a common rotatablering with a common wire at the ends remote from the surface of theroller. This ring is eccentrically positioned with respect to the fixedroller shaft. A guide groove for the film is provided on the surface ofthe roller. This groove is covered by an endless band die which rotateswith the roller and which is provided with link elements which ensure,by magnetic, pneumatic, hydraulic or other means, that the band die willadhere firmly to the part of the roller over which it is looped.

The perforations produced are very accurate owing to the fact that theperforating punches dip in a straight line into the band die and passthrough the film which is covered without contact, and owing to the factthat the band die is firmly held against the surface of the roller bymeans of the link members. It is particularly advantageous that thefilm, guided by the punches inserted in it, is conveyed smoothly and isnot released until other punches have taken over the function ofguiding. Owing to the fact that a large number of punches are inoperation, the acceleration of the punches and the wear on the tools areonly slight even at a high output of about 150 m./ min. When the banddie with the link members has 3,171,314 Patented Mar. 2 1965 beenremoved, the punches can be sharpened at their ends while the tool isrotating, no difficult dismantling and adjustment being necessary. Thissharpening process does not affect the spacing of the perforations. Theband die with the link members can be made simply and inexpensively by aspecial punching and calibrating process and is easily replaced, theopen anchoring members being removable without any special tools and thedie can be used again and again. i

A constructional example of the invention will be described below Withreference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a perforated film strip.

FIG. 2 is an overall view of the whole perforating apparatus andindicates diagrammatically the manufacturing process for perforating thefilm shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the punching roller with the band die, shownpartly in section.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the punching roller and band die along the lineA-B in FIG. 3, with the cover of the framework half removed and parts ofthe punches visible.

FIG. 5 is a partial view in perspective of an anchoring member fittedinto the band die.

FIG. 6 is a section through the punch guide after the punch has passedthrough the film and the band die.

The rotatable perforating apparatus shown in FIG. 2 consists of thepunch roller 1 and the endless band die 2 moving over the Wheels 3 and4. This band die is fixed by a part of the punch and coversapproximately one quarter of the surface of the punch roller 1. Thedrive is provided by the motor 5 and transmitted to the chain wheel 8through the chain wheel 6 and the roller chain 7. The chain wheel 9 isrigidly connected to the axle of the chain wheel 8 and moves the banddie forwards by way of the roller chain 10 and the chain wheels 11 and12. The chain wheel 13 which Winds the film by way of the roller chain14 and the chain wheel 15 is mounted on the shaft of the chain wheel 12and the wheel 3. The unperforated film is unwound from a feed roll 17 bythe punch roller 1, which is in engagement with the band die 2, the filmpassing over the deflecting roller 18 on its way to the punch roller.The perforated film is then wound on the roll 19. A roller 20 isprovided to enable the band die to be lifted from roller 1 more easily.

A ball bearing 24 secured by a locking ring 22 and a disc 23 is mountedwithout play on an attachment situated concentrically on the shaft 21.The cover 25 of the framework is rotatably mounted on this ball bearingand is fitted to the outer ring of the ball hearing by means of thethreaded cover 26. A closure ring 28 which is connected to the cover 25by the countersunk screws 27 is attached to a guide ring 29 for thepunches by countersunk screws 30. An oil ring 31 and a sealing ring 32are mounted partly in the guide ring 29 and partly in the closure ring28. The punches 34 slide in the guide ring 29 to which the spool member33 is also connected.

As shown in FIG. 4, the rounded ends of the punches are guided in agroove and supported by an eccentric ring 35. In FIG. 3, the eccentricring 35 is mounted on two ball bearings 36 which are fitted without playon an attachment eccentrically of the shaft 21 and secured by lockingrings 37 and 38. A grooved ring 39 is attached to the eccentric ring 35by countersunk scews 40. The punches 34 are guided by the grooved ring39 and are prevented from falling out by a wire ring 41 on which all thepunches are threaded and which, as shown in FIG. 4, lies in the groovebetween the ring 39 and the ring 35.

On the right-hand side of FIG. 3, the housing cover 42 is mountedconcentrically on the shaft 21 with the aid of the ball bearings 43which are free from play and it is secured by the nut 44 with two holes.Slip rings 45, which are insulated from one another, and the chain Wheel9 are connected to the cover42 by countersunk screw 46.

Carbon brushes 47 sliding on the slip rings 45 supply current to thespool member 33. The dash-dotted line with the points of three arrowsindicates the direction of the magnetic flux when current flows throughthe spool.

The endless band die 48, 'which is prefeably a band of spring steel withgreat surface hardness, is provided with cut apertures for the passageof the punches 34 and, on each side, locking slots in which theprojections of the anchoring member 49 are guided. To open the anchoringmember 49, the band die 48 is bent transversely and the projections onthe anchoring member are pushed into the slots so that in the process ofelastic recoil the inner edges of the slots on the band die jump intothe grooves of the anchoring member 49, as shown in FIG. 5. As shown inFIG. 6, the interruptions in the anchoring member 49 are slightly largerthan the cut apertures in the band die 48 so that a good cut edge isformed and the waste material 50 cut away by punching can easily dropout. As shown in FIG. 3, the film 51 is guided in a path and coveredwithout contact by the band die 48.

FIG. 4 shows the band die 48 with the anchoring members 49 opened up,during the perforating process. In accordance with the position of theeccentric ring 35, the punches 34 enter the anchor members 49, ascendingcontinuously through the film 51 and the band die 48. The anchoringmembers are segments cut from a turned ring. The side of the segmentsfacing the band die correspond in dimensions to the external radius ofthe band die 48 lying on them. To adapt them to the movement of theendless band die over the discs 3 and 4, the anchoring members 49 arechamfered on their long sides. According to FIG. 4, the circumferentialsurface of the disc 4 has two slots 52 through which the punch waste 50is removedby suction from the anchoring members as the die passes overthe slots, and the waste is then conveyed to the outside through thehollow shaft. described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6 operates asfollows:

When a direct voltage is applied through the carbon brushes 47 and theslip rings 45, magnetic flux is set up in the spool member 33. As shownin FIG. 3, this magnetic flux has the direction of the dash-dotted lineindicated by the tips of three arrows, and electrical connection isestablished between the anchoring members 49 which are in contact andthe closure ring 28. This causes the band die to be pressed in contactwith great force and is now not only secured against displacement in thetransverse and longitudinal direction by means of the punches 34engaging with it but is also secured against removal in the radialdirection. The band die is therefore lifted smoothly and continuouslyfrom its underlying surface as it passes to the wheel 3 because thepunches in that region are already out of engagement again and the flowof current is interrupted stepwise by the anchoring members. Thisprocess is further facilitated by the roller 20 shown in FIG. 2.

According to FIG. 2, the unperforated film 16 pulled by hand from thefeed roll 17 is placed round the deflecting roller 18 and is pushed overthe guide path of the punch roller 1 and under the band die 2. When theapparatus is rotated in the clockwise sense, the punches 34,

The apparatus controlled by the eccentric ring rotating with theapparatus, continuously slide outwardly, ascending in the radialdirection. During this movement, they pierce the film 51 and the banddie 48 and push the waste material 50, as shown in FIG. 6, into theapertures in the anchoring members, from which the waste is then removedby suction in the wheel 3. The punches are then returned to theirstarting position by the movement of the eccentric ring 35 with whichthey are connected by the wire ring 41., When the motor 5 has beenswitched on, the chain wheel 6 transmits the drive through the rollerchain 7 to the punch die 1 and to the chain wheel 9 and the roller chain10, the chain wheels 11 and 12 being thereby driven.

The band die is carried without tension by the punches of the punchroller 1, which are in engagement with the band die, and by the discs 3and 4. When the film, which is guided without contact between the banddie and the punch roller, has been perforated it is moved forwards bythe punches that are in engagement with it. It passes over thedeflecting roller 18 to be wound up on the roll 19 which is driven bythe chain wheel 13, the roller chain 14 and the chain wheel 15. Anynumber of perforation rows spaced at any distance apart may be provided.For photosensitive films, the perforating apparatus may be used in thelight if suitable covering means are provided.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for continuously perforating photographic films, papers,and magnetic tapes with a rotary roller on which a film strip runs inthe same direction and is at the same time perforated by punches,comprising said punches being guided in radial rectilinear slots in saidrotary roller and being threaded at the ends remote from thecircumference of said roller, in a common rotatable ring with wire, saidring being eccentricaliy positioned with respect to the fixed rollershaft, and a guidegroove for the film which is to be perforated beingsituated on the surface of said roller, said guide groove being coveredby an endless band die which runs with said roller and which is providedwith linked members by means of which the band die is made to adherefirmly to its surface over the appropriate looping angle with the aid ofmagnetic means.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising an electrical ringspool which is sunk into the body of said 'roller over its circumferenceand the link members of the band die being constructed as anchoringlinks made of soft iron.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising said link membersbeing provided with projections which fit into grooved surfaces arrangedon the edges of the band die.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive for the rolleris coupled with the drive for the endless band die.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1.AN APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY PERFORATING PHOTOGRAPHIC FILMS, PAPERS, AND MAGNETIC TAPES WITH ROTARY ROLLER ON WHICH A FILM STRIP RUNS IN THE SAME DIRECTION AND IS AT THE SAME TIME PERFORATED BY PUNCHES, COMPRISING SAID PUNCHES BEING GUIDED IN RADIAL RECTILINEAR SLOTS IN SAID ROTARY ROLLER AND BEING THREADED AT THE ENDS REMOTE FROM THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF SAID ROLLER, IN A COMMON ROTATABLE RING WITH WIRE, SAID RING BEING ECCENTRICALLY POSITIONED WITH RESPECT TO THE FIXED ROLLER SHAFT, AND A GUIDE GROOVE FOR THE FILM WHICH IS TO BE PERFORATED BEING SITUATED ON THE SURFACE OF SAID ROLLER, SAID GUIDE GROOVE BEING COVERED BY AN ENDLESS BAND DIE WHICH RUNS WITH SAID ROLLER AND WHICH IS PROVIDED WITH LINKED MEMBERS BY MEANS OF WHICH THE BAND DIE IS MADE TO ADHERE FIRMLY TO ITS SURFACE OVER THE APPROPRIATE LOOPING ANGLE WITH THE AID OF MAGNETIC MEANS. 